West Virginia’s Sarah Martinelli and Texas Tech’s Kennedy Kithuka earned Big 12 Runner of the Week honors. It is Kithuka’s third weekly award this season and sixth career weekly award. Martinelli is the first Mountaineer to take home the weekly honor on the season.

Kennedy Kithuka, Texas Tech, Sr., Thika, KenyaTexas Tech senior Kennedy Kithuka continued his stellar 2013 season with yet another victory on Saturday in Arkansas. The unblemished Red Raider finished first overall at the annual Chile Pepper Festival to defend his title from a record-breaking 2012 race.

Kithuka clocked a season-best time in the 8,000-meter race crossing the finish line ahead of a pair of runners from No. 5, and host, Arkansas with a time of 23:28.1. In dominant fashion, Kithuka has now won four consecutive meets to open the 2013 season and moves to a perfect 11-0 in his career at Texas Tech.

Sarah Martinelli, West Virginia, Sr., Morgantown, W. Va.Martinelli helped guide the No. 29 West Virginia cross country team to an eighth-place finish out of 47 schools at the Paul Short run on Saturday. In her first race of the season, the 5-2 senior was the first Mountaineer to cross the finish line, coming in 19th place overall with a 6K time of 20:55.

The Morgantown, W.Va., native cut nearly two minutes off of 6k in her first event last season (22:28), while helping West Virginia finish higher than such opponents as No. 13 Penn State.